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Pan-European Life Insurer
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Insurance & Asset Management
9 months

Pan-European Life Insurer

A leading European insurer needed to modernize its investment strategy to navigate a higher-rate environment and regulatory capital constraints.

Client Background

The client provides life and savings products across five European markets. Their legacy portfolio was heavily concentrated in low-yielding government bonds, resulting in a negative spread against guaranteed liability rates. Rising interest rates offered an opportunity to de-risk, but required a complex rotation of assets.

Challenge

The insurer was trapped in a 'yield trap'—needing higher returns to support policyholder guarantees but constrained by Solvency II capital charges on riskier assets. Additionally, their interest rate hedging program was static and expensive, bleeding P&L during the rate hike cycle.

Solution

1Balance sheet stress testing & ALM modelling
2Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA) review
3Private debt manager selection
4Derivatives overlay restructuring
5Capital optimization analysis

Implementation Process

ALM Modelling

3 months
  • Modelled liability cash flows under 1,000+ stochastic scenarios
  • Quantified sensitivity to rates, spreads, and inflation
  • Identified optimal duration gap targets
  • Assessed liquidity needs for lapse scenarios

SAA & Manager Search

4 months
  • Designed new SAA with 15% allocation to private credit/infra debt
  • Conducted RFP for specialized private debt managers
  • Negotiated fee structures and side letters
  • Structured investment vehicles for tax efficiency

Execution & Hedging

2 months
  • Executed rotation of €15B from govies to credit
  • Restructured swaption portfolio to monetize volatility
  • Implemented repo program for liquidity management
  • Updated board risk limits and reporting

Project Outcomes

Financial Strength

Restored capital buffers and improved long-term profitability.

Solvency Ratio
142%160%
+Strong capital position
Net Investment Income
2.1%2.95%
+Significant yield pickup
Duration Gap
3.5 years0.5 years
+Immunized rate risk

Portfolio Modernization

Diversified sources of return and reduced reliance on public fixed income.

Private Assets
2%15%
+Illiquidity premium capture
Manager Fees
45bps avg38bps avg
+Cost efficiency
The depth of Blue Cedarwood's actuarial and investment expertise is rare. They bridged the gap between our risk and investment teams, delivering a strategy that not only solved our immediate solvency issue but positioned us for profitable growth.
Elena Rossi/Group CIO, Pan-European Life Insurer

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